The latest example of this reach concerns the air strikes in Sudan, first reported by The New York Times and later by other papers.The Times report, based on statements from US officials, claimed that Israeli aircraft bombed a convoy of trucks in January that was believed to be carrying arms to be smuggled into Gaza. American officials also said the air strike took place because Israel sought to stop the flow of arms during the weeks it was conducting Operation Cast Lead inside Gaza.
From all accounts so far, the air strikes were carried out two months ago, but they were not publicized until Sudanese officials announced last Thursday that a convoy of trucks in the remote eastern part of Sudan was bombed by what they called “American fighter jets.” However, the US denied that it carried out the attacks. Vince Crawley, a spokesman for the United States African Command (AFRICOM), told The Times that US forces had not been involved in the bombing.
“The US military has not conducted any air strikes, fired any missiles or undertaken any combat operations in or around Sudan since October 2008, when the US African Command formally became responsible for US military action in Africa,” The Times quoted him as saying.
One official referred to the January attack as one in a series of Israeli operations against weapon shipments to Gaza. However, another former US official told The Times that the origin of the arms being transferred through Sudan was unclear.
If the US was not involved as they claim, then there remains only one other possibility. That is, of course, Israel, which was mentioned by Sudanese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ali al-Sadiq. But as with previous attacks in other places, Israeli officials declined to confirm or deny Israel’s involvement in the air strike in Sudan. They also refused to comment on the various foreign media reports about the strike.
However, outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert strongly implied that Israel was responsible by stating last Thursday that no place in the world was out of Israel’s reach for an attack.
“We operate everywhere. We can hit terrorist infrastructure in nearby places, in places farther away, anywhere we can strike them in a way that increases deterrence,” Olmert said in a conference in Herzliya.
“It was true in the north in a series of incidents, and it was true in the south in a series of incidents. There is no point in going into detail. Everybody can use their imagination. Those who need to know do know there is no place that Israel cannot operate. Such a place does not exist,” he said.
Any Israeli decision to attack such a distant target would likely have been based on the belief that Iran could deliver arms to Gaza, possibly including 70-kilometer-range Fajr rockets. That range would allow Hamas and Palestinian operatives to strike deep into Israel proper from their Gaza positions.
The “Sudan air attack” is of course the latest demonstration of Israel’s use of its long arms. Back in September 2007, using aircraft, they bombed a site called Al Kibar in Syria with their long arms.
Israeli aircraft flew across the Mediterranean in June of last year and conducted what appeared to be a rehearsal for an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Over 100 F-16 and F-15 fighter jets as well as helicopters and refueling tankers took part in the exercise over the Mediterranean and Greece. The aircraft covered 1,500 kilometers, approximately the distance between Israel and Iran’s main enrichment center at Natanz.
The Israeli army did not deny the report, saying only in a statement the air force “regularly trains for various missions in order to confront and meet challenges posed by threats facing Israel.”
These are the known examples of Israel’s use of long reach. What their next targets are, of course, is hard to say. But one thing is clear: Israel uses its reach with no impunity. Meanwhile, it is possible that the targeted countries will just sit back and not do much to prevent Israel from using its long reach.
